in the first proper race i was having difficulty,i was able to get past the 7th driver(out of 8,me being 8th at the time),half way through the race i decided the turn off the dogshit music that plays while driving,as soon as i did that i was able to get past everyone and eventually won the race..yeah,weird,LOL

the Viper car you get in the full game for playing the demo is available only until 30th November

I did a rival race(not sure if it was a Bot or a LIVE player),and it was back and forth all the time,in the end i won by a whisker..i really hope it was a LIVE player

EDIT: Aww,i don't think it was a LIVE player,he is not on my 'last played with' list anyway

you only have a section of the map open(decent size),and are able to set routes where you want to go

the whole map looks massive

Graphics are a step up IMO,the scenery is gorgeous

Holy crap..i was racing a plane!!(I won)

before every race it gives you an option screen,where you can change difficulty etc

'Treasure Map' now

Okay finished 5th in that race i hit the wall for the first Tunnel

So the demo starts of with a rival race,then a race with 8 cars(including yours),then another rival race and then some free driving to get to the next event and then you can sign up for a Mustang Vs Mustang race(which turned out to be the plane),then a rival race again,then another race with 8 players at the Dam,and then a rival race and then that is when the demo is over,however,you can continue to free roam,and the free roam also has little challenges(like when you go past a speed camera)

This is the car that you will unlock in the full game just for playing the demo

The "Mustang vs Mustang" got me me really excited, but it seemed very scripted when I was actually doing it.

Yup, you weren't racing the aircraft, it was just timed to cross the gates at certain intervals.

To elaborate on my physics comment... I had just driven the 2013 Viper in Forza 4 with the assists off. It's drivable, but you really feel like you are just on the edge of control. I drove it in Horizon with all assists off and it felt floaty but not at all challenging.

Still, I'll give the demo another try later and see if some of my judgement is just being cranky at something new. Not that that would happen...

Is there any dirt/gravel/off-road driving in the demo? I was really looking forward to seeing what Forza could bring to a rally-type race.

Yes, the first race is off-road and it's what you would expect, sliding the corners and wobbling a bit when you lay down power. And there is another road which appears to be gravel rather than the dirt of the first road and maybe you slide on it a bit more.

It occurred to me that while Horizon had the same ABS, Traction Control and Steering assists that are in Forza 4, it's missing STM aka Stability Management. Maybe it's on all the time in Horizon, which would explain why the cars feel nurfed. I've tried the demo a second time, still not impressed.

The problem is their "target audience" isn't core Forza players. He likes all kinds of driving games, from Forza to NFS to Wipeout, but not everyone is like that. Putting the Forza name on the box implies certain things and there are going to be some pissed off people. Moreover, a game that looks like it will be a lot of fun is going to get panned for what it isn't, rather than what it is.

I'll just be happy if people actually race each other instead of just racing each other's times. (yes, I'm still bitter that we finally got a 16 player Forza game after always having a full room in Forza 2, and never got more than 5 people in a race )

Gaming Examiner: 9.5 - The Forza series is expanding beyond the racetrack, and Horizon represents a fantastic first salvo into the greater Forza world.

Destructiod: 9 - Forza Horizon mixes authentic racing with an open world to create a unique game that will appeal to both hardcore car freaks and casual racers. Playground Games took a humungous, beautiful world, packed it full of entertaining challenges and events, added in tons of personality and style, and built it all around the proven Forza tech, giving racing game fans an exceptional automotive experience that they didn't even know they wanted. For as much as I love Forza Motorsport, it's going to be hard to go back after this.

Eurogamer: 9 - Forza Horizon is a big, exciting game that finally brings car enthusiasts together with the realistic open roads they crave.

IGN: 9 - If you love Forza 4, this is the perfect companion. If you love cars, this is essential. The school of thought may be that it's hard to push racing games this late in a generation, but Playground Games hasn't just moved the needle here. It's buried it.

Gamespot: 8.5 - Despite Horizon's newfound focus on style and flash, sim enthusiasts need not be alarmed: this is no arcade racer.

Pocket Lint: 4/5 - There are so many elements at play which make Forza Horizon so different to the most recent Forza outings. This isn't a replacement for Forza Motorsportby any means, it's an addition. Forza Horizon delivers on one of the fundamentals that Turn 10, the game's developer, has always pushed: it's a game for car lovers.

Polygon: 6 - Forza Horizon is never fleshed out enough to reach its potential. There's value to the idea of making a more outwardly accessible entry in a series that's normally targeted at hardcore car nuts. But Horizon's accessibility gives way to a lack of foresight. Its open world feels empty, its economic model is questionable, and its armada of cars are powerless against arbitrary AI escalation. Forza Horizon has more flash than its predecessors, but it's hollow by comparison.

VentureBeat: 83/100 - While Forza Horizon can come across as demographic-mongering, interactive junk food, you'll find a deeply engaging racing experience below its overly gaudy candy-paint top coat. The game truly shines when it lets you live out your childhood fantasies, driving that car from the poster on your bedroom wall down a meandering motorway toward the sunset-soaked ... well, horizon.

Also, we have [GT] as our Race Club on this one - I took it as soon as I could

From the GT review:

Quote

The game world is by no means gigantic, but in touring the outer-most ring (where the map still extends beyond that) at speeds that average around 90 miles per hour I clocked it at a respectable 17 minutes .

For comparison, in Test Drive Unlimited (and similarly in TDU2) there is a challenge to drive around the island of Oahu, in a pretty fast car, in under 60 minutes. I was able to do it with a few seconds to spare. If we swag it a bit and figure that it takes three times longer to drive around Oahu than Horizon's Colorado, we can conclude that Horizon's map represents an area one-ninth the size of Oahu. Which when you think about it is a bit disappointing since in real life, Oahu is 596.7 sq mi, while Colorado is 104,094 sq mi. Just saying.

I said respectable, not impressive. The important thing to remember is (I have TDU2 and mention it several times in the review ) TDU2 is far less detailed in every.single.way.possible.

They give you the different terrains - that's what should matter ... also, since there is no drop-in-and-play modes where you get random internet dudes, the world doesn't need to be as big - and fast travel costs you.

The world feels big enough that you can open up, but there is enough interesting driving that it doesn't feel like you're a long-haul trucker, trying to stay awake till you get to the next town.

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"If it weren't for Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of television, we'd still be eating frozen radio dinners." - Johnny Carson

I said respectable, not impressive. The important thing to remember is (I have TDU2 and mention it several times in the review ) TDU2 is far less detailed in every.single.way.possible.

I guess it's because I don't care as much about the details in the world as much as having a large world. Still, I'm getting the game (the LCE in fact) because of things in the reviews (including yours) that convinced me that even with the changes there's still a lot to like.

Microsoft has officially announced the Forza Horizon Rally Expansion Pack.

Set for release on December 18, the platform holder says it'll deliver "immersive and authentic rally racing on the roughest, untamed roads of Colorado", featuring "deeper ruts, higher jumps, and new surface types to explore".MS also offered a rundown of the game's first monthly car pack, which be available in time for the Forza Horizon release date of October 23 in the US and three days later in the UK.

-2012 Ferrari 599XX Evoluzione: It's notable that Ferrari considers itself a racing team first and automaker second. Leaving no gaps in the realm of elite performance, the XX line was created to bridge between Formula One and production cars. The Evoluzione has only 30 more horsepower than the previous 599XX but is a full second faster on Ferrari's exclusive Fiorano test track.

-2012 Lamborghini Aventador J: Sparing no expense, and designed in a total of six weeks for its one prospective customer, Lamborghini created the open-air Aventador J. In its cockpit you won't find any climate control-for obvious reasons-or navigation; they would simply add weight. Powered by the standard Aventador's 700 horsepower 6.5-liter V12, the roofless-and ruthless--J can easily achieve speeds north of 180 mph.

-2012 Gumpert Apollo Enraged: One of the biggest and best-kept secrets of the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, the Gumpert Apollo Enraged dropped jaws at its unveiling. The ultra-exclusive three units of production are street legal, but realistically are ready-to-race track cars.

-2012 Alfa Romeo 8C Spider: In the tradition of the open-air Giulietta of the 1950's, but with all the performance and technology of the 8C Competizione Coupe, the 8C Spider is as graceful as you'd expect from an Alfa. It is also ready to pounce given a little motivation. Its body lines are supple; its interior boasts exposed carbon fiber and aluminum.

-2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302: Revamping a classic car to match its predecessor is a difficult trick in the car business. The 2012 Mustang Boss 302 does so in every way and then some. Pure fun mixed with nostalgia doesn't get much better than this.

-1957 Chevrolet Bel Air: Before the terms "stanced" or "tuner" were even a thought in the mind of any car enthusiast, there was the '57 Chevy. The Bel Air was the most upscale of the bodies sporting the most chrome and a golden grill. Whether you keep it classic, flourish it in flames, or drop in a big block, it will always get looks.

Microsoft has officially announced the Forza Horizon Rally Expansion Pack.

Set for release on December 18, the platform holder says it'll deliver "immersive and authentic rally racing on the roughest, untamed roads of Colorado", featuring "deeper ruts, higher jumps, and new surface types to explore".

Sounds interesting, although I'm sure we'll hear some gripes from folks because this wasn't included in the original game release. If they really are going for authentic rally racing, then the stages should be longer than the four minute ones of the last couple of Colin McRae releases. And of course you have to throw in some of the old Group B rally cars.

I thought this was interesting in the Eurogamer announcement:

Quote

Five additional cars will be available exclusively to Season Pass owners. These will individually rear their heads on the third Tuesday of the month from November through until March. The first is the 2006 Lamborghini Miura Concept.

IIRC having the season pass in Forza 4 didn't nab you any more cars than buying the car packs individually, it was just cheaper.

Played the demo and really enjoyed it, my 5 year old plays Forza but isn't really in to and prefers Lego Batman (2). My youngest is 2 1/2 and shown no interest in anything my son and I play until we fired this up. Straight away he was can I play he was doing the throttle and trying to steer. I could see my wife thinking oh no here we go. His favourite colour is yellow and I reckon it's because the viper is yellow but he now asks when do we get more of it. Looks like this will be a pre order now.

I just went through the events in the demo. Color me unimpressed. Worst of all, the physics feel off. Sheesh, this is Forza, if you louse up the physics, what's the point?

Quote from: jztemple2 on October 09, 2012, 05:08:58 PM

It occurred to me that while Horizon had the same ABS, Traction Control and Steering assists that are in Forza 4, it's missing STM aka Stability Management. Maybe it's on all the time in Horizon, which would explain why the cars feel nurfed. I've tried the demo a second time, still not impressed.

I have just been reading the Kotaku review and one of the readers comments says this

Quote

Steve Galbincea For those disappointed with the handling, which it sounds like the author was as well, you have to select expert controls first, then choose your sub options. This disables a hidden STM system that remains enabled unless you use this method. Try it and see - it is very noticeable and actually gives the cars the feel of FM4. I highly recommend going off-road for some sideways rally after you do this - with a wheel of course!

This is an excellent game, and one that no car lover with a 360 should miss.

Has this by any chance got a feature where you can download a video of a race for more than 30 seconds?(which was quite disappointing in Forza 4,as i wanted to show my mates me driving the Top Gear Track)

I have just been reading the Kotaku review and one of the readers comments says this

Quote

Steve Galbincea For those disappointed with the handling, which it sounds like the author was as well, you have to select expert controls first, then choose your sub options. This disables a hidden STM system that remains enabled unless you use this method. Try it and see - it is very noticeable and actually gives the cars the feel of FM4. I highly recommend going off-road for some sideways rally after you do this - with a wheel of course!

This is an excellent game, and one that no car lover with a 360 should miss.

not sure why it should be like this,but maybe worth giving it a try

I tried the demo again using this suggestion. I couldn't say for sure if it made a difference or I was just imagining it. It still didn't feel like FM4, but it wasn't bad.

I just went through the events in the demo. Color me unimpressed. Worst of all, the physics feel off. Sheesh, this is Forza, if you louse up the physics, what's the point?

Quote from: jztemple2 on October 09, 2012, 05:08:58 PM

It occurred to me that while Horizon had the same ABS, Traction Control and Steering assists that are in Forza 4, it's missing STM aka Stability Management. Maybe it's on all the time in Horizon, which would explain why the cars feel nurfed. I've tried the demo a second time, still not impressed.

I have just been reading the Kotaku review and one of the readers comments says this

Quote

Steve Galbincea For those disappointed with the handling, which it sounds like the author was as well, you have to select expert controls first, then choose your sub options. This disables a hidden STM system that remains enabled unless you use this method. Try it and see - it is very noticeable and actually gives the cars the feel of FM4. I highly recommend going off-road for some sideways rally after you do this - with a wheel of course!

This is an excellent game, and one that no car lover with a 360 should miss.

not sure why it should be like this,but maybe worth giving it a try

Just checked - there is no toggle for expert controls - simply that one can turn off assists, and if you so desire, turn on simulation steering, auto/manual/manual w. clutch, TCS, ABS, etc.

There is an Advanced section, where you can adjust play and deadzones for your controls.

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"If it weren't for Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of television, we'd still be eating frozen radio dinners." - Johnny Carson

Just checked - there is no toggle for expert controls - simply that one can turn off assists, and if you so desire, turn on simulation steering, auto/manual/manual w. clutch, TCS, ABS, etc.

There is an Advanced section, where you can adjust play and deadzones for your controls.

I figured out what they were talking about. What you do is go to Options, then Difficulty section and move the top adjustment (called GAME DIFFICULTY) which reads EASY, MEDIUM, PRO etc up to EXPERT, then adjust the ones below it to individual preferences. I got the following from the FM.net forum

Quote

What you do is change the difficulty to expert (maybe anything but easy- I'll get to that later), then just make the individual assists and settings how you want them. This seems to remove the hidden STM assist, which can really be intrusive and annoying.

If you want to test out the difference, just set the difficulty to expert (you can turn off the clutch if you need), find a long, wide stretch of highway, and in third gear sway left and right to drift on alternating sides (Choku-Dori, for the drifting literate). You should be able to maintain speed and continue indefinitely. Now set the difficulty to easy, then change all of the individual assists and settings to what they were previously. Try to Choku-Dori at the same speed and in the same gear, and you'll find that it's impossible to keep enough speed. This is due to the hidden STM assist that seems to be turned by the "Easy" difficulty, which the game starts you with. If you're like many people, you didn't bother switching the difficulty level before customizing the assists and options to how you wanted them.

I've experimented with the difficulties between "Easy" and "Expert", but if they have STM enabled it is nowhere near as intrusive. They may have been trying out a multiple setting STM like they use on GT5, with all but "Easy" using milder STM and perhaps "Expert" using none, but that's just speculation. Regardless, this trick makes the FH demo feel much closer to FM4, although it still doesn't seem to be quite the same (especially the rumble and force feedback!) Hopefully an STM option will exist in the full game, but until then this trick can make the game much more satisfying.

I did the test he suggested and I could definitely discern between STM on and off. The developers should make this an obvious adjustment instead of built in.

After re-reading the described settings, those are definitely in the game, and unless you move it off "Easy" before creating your own custom setup, that may be where they're coming from. Once again, I don't know if that is demo or final game.

Next time I'm in, I'll check.

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"If it weren't for Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of television, we'd still be eating frozen radio dinners." - Johnny Carson

Also, if I ever raced a car like I do in Forza, I'd have 7 guys looking to kick my ass at the end of the race (for using them as barricades to stop my drifting too far out). Look at how badly beaten up my Nissan is...

It's not all the time actually, but I found I tend to buy cars at races, so I don't have the feel for them. I must admit that as an A class, the Nissan is very tight in its control and you sit high on the RPMs, as opposed to a corvette which punishes lead-feet.

The Nissan reminds me of my 1991 Honda Prelude SR 4WS ... not the steering part, but certainly the sound of an angry sewing machine.

« Last Edit: October 18, 2012, 07:32:46 PM by Purge »

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"If it weren't for Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of television, we'd still be eating frozen radio dinners." - Johnny Carson